INVERCLYDE COASTAL PATH
Inverclyde Coastal Path provides delightful scenic walks, with views across the Clyde to the Dumbartonshire hills, the Argyllshire hills and the Highlands. It offers around 20 miles of easy walking, with a mixture of rural paths and urban promenades. For long distance walks it links naturally to the popular Ayrshire Coastal Path which is a further 84 miles in length, and to the north the Inverclyde path has the potential to connect through Renfrewshire to the Forth and Clyde Canal and the West Highland Way. Sections of the coastal path are also ideal for day walks. Full facilities to meet every need of walkers are available at points along the route, and there is ample public transport.
Redevelopment along areas formerly associated with our shipbuilding history is already providing well designed sections of path. Our ambition is to promote further path improvements including proper signs and waymarking along the length of the coastal route. Redevelopment of the former Inverkip Power Station site promises a delightful new sea walk, and to the east we aspire to getting the Finlaystone Burn bridged to give full access to the Renfrewshire Coast.
THE WALK
This outline describes short sections suitable for a few hours walk, which can readily be combined for full day or weekend walks. The route is shown from Finlaystone in the east heading west and south to reach Wemyss Bay and hence Ayrshire, it can easily be reversed.
The path is not waymarked and many junctions lack signposts, so print this out to take with you. Photos of key points along the walk are shown in the Coastal Path gallery at www.inverclyderamblers.org.uk/coastphoto.html
The OS Explorer map 341 covers this area and the Ayrshire coast as far as Saltcoats, useful but not essential as the route is pretty obvious.
Remember to follow the Country Code: Take away only memories and photographs, leave only footprints.
1. Finlaystone and Parklea to Port Glasgow: approx 5 miles
Access: car parking at Parklea Playing Fields (busy at weekends) and at Port Glasgow. Woodhall railway station provides the nearest public transport to Parklea. Start at Finlaystone Burn, grid ref NS367739
From the north side of Woodhall station, a footbridge over the main road gives access to the coast at Kelburn Park, or the road running east on the north side of the railway line connects to Parklea via an underpass leading to the car park which is about 900m walk from the station. Park roads and tracks allow access along the southern perimeter of the football pitches (or the coastal walk can be followed along the north edge of the playing fields) to gain access to a beach walk heading east to reach Finlaystone Burn about 1 mile from the car park.
The burn is too deep to cross without waders except at very low tide, when wellington boots are advised. Parklea is largely a National Trust for Scotland Nature Reserve under Stewardship of Inverclyde Council, please take care to avoid disturbing wildlife in this bird sanctuary.
From Finlaystone Burn, return westwards along the beach and rough grass shoreline to join the coastal grass path at the start of the playing pitches. Information boards describe the wildlife and history along the coastal footpath, including the eroded wooden posts sticking out of the sea which are remains of the old timber ponds where wood for shipbuilding was weathered. The path joins a park track and passes the new stadium and car park, going west along the coast for about 600m to reach Kelburn Park, where a path around the shore for about the same distance meets the footbridge to Woodhall station. From here, the trail continues on a walkway along the shore for 1km to a former shipyard, now park area, past Lamont's pier to the 16th century Newark Castle, a Historic Scotland property open to the public.
Behind the castle, Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd continues in operation. The footpath round the shipyard and the Fire Station leads north to Coronation Park, infilled on the former harbours of Port Glasgow. The park path leads past old bond buildings at Mirren's shore to a tall Navigation Lamp. Turn down Anderson Street past the boat yard and commercial premises, and note the replica of the 1812 paddle steamer Comet, the first successful steamboat in Europe, on the other side of the Tesco roundabout. If you want to leave the walk here, cross the main road at pedestrian traffic lights to get to Port Glasgow town centre with facilities and station.
2. Port Glasgow to Fort Matilda: approx 5 miles
Access: car parking and railway station in Port Glasgow, numerous bus links. Start at roundabout, grid ref NS319747
From the north side of the Tesco Roundabout, take the coastal path constructed along the river edge of the once giant Lithgow's shipyard. The shore path continues along the new Kingston housing development, but at present reaches a dead end so take Lithgow Way and then Scott Way westward to pass to the south of the Inchgreen Drydock. Follow the pavement past the entrance of the drydock. From here travel West along the pavement beside the main road to the roundabout past MacDonald's. Walk north past the east side of the Point Hotel to the Watt Dock. Here join the new coastal promenade going westward along the shore line of what was Scott's Shipyard. Follow it round past the old dry dock, then walk west along the wharfs of the Victoria and East India docks.
Go to the quayside in front of the magnificent Customhouse Building, and continue west along the new promenade past the Waterfront leisure centre to the Cinema. At the end of the promenade turn south and then turn right on to Container Way, continuing on Clarence Street past the Container Terminal to turn right onto Brougham Street (A770). Alternatively, from the promenade cross Container Way and go through past the entrance to Tesco's to traffic lights giving access to the town centre which has shops, cafes and public toilets, and follow West Blackhall Street westwards to join the A770.
The busy container terminus on the right was built as Princes Pier for the Glasgow and South Western Railway, in the golden age of Clyde Steamers. At Campbell Street turn north to join Greenock Esplanade, passing a cafe. There are public toilets on the continuation north of Campbell Street, just before the small harbour. Walk the Esplanade west then join Eldon Street at the Boat Club to walk past the Admiralty buildings to the entrance to Fun World. Turn south for Fort Matilda Station, or continue on to enter Battery Park which has public toilets and a cafe in its Pavilion.
3. Fort Matilda via Gourock to Lunderston Bay: approx 5 miles
Access: car parking at Battery Park Pavilion, bus services along Eldon Street and Fort Matilda railway station is about 200m south of the park entrance which is at grid ref NS255776
Enter the Battery Park at its road entrance from Eldon Street. Follow the footpath to the left of the all-weather pitch, north past the Pavilion to the shore path which runs westward to Cardwell Bay. Here a shore footpath links to the pavement along Cove Road. This joins the pavement along Tarbet Street (A771) to Gourock Pierhead at Kempock Point. Go through Gourock Railway station (there are public toilets not far to the left along Shore Street).
Turn right to head southwest along Kempock Street, which features shops, cafes and pubs. Pass the heated outdoor salt water swimming pool and continue on along the Ashton Road promenade, with public toilets midway. Past Royal Gourock Yacht Club this promenade becomes a wide pavement to Cloch Road (A770), passing the Western Ferries pier and on past the picturesque Cloch Lighthouse, with extensive views to the Holy Loch and Loch Long.
As the promenade continues south it turns away from the road into Lunderston Bay picnic area, part of the Clyde Muirshiel Park. The car park is just across the road from the Cardwell Garden Centre, which features a cafe. There are no bus stop signs, but stand beside or opposite the garden centre entrance, hold out your hand and the regular (approximately hourly) bus service will stop on request, heading south or north.
4. Lunderston Bay to Inverkip and Wemyss Bay: approx 5 miles
Access: car parking at Lunderston Bay grid ref NS204745, bus service along the A770 from Glasgow to Largs via Gourock, Inverkip and Wemyss Bay.
From Lunderston Bay car park, an unmade path follows the shore for about 2 miles, past fields and then through Ardgowan woods to reach the Kip Marina. The path follows the shore past houses, then round the perimeter of the marina itself past the Chart Room restaurant to the main entrance, passing Cafe Riva. A footbridge goes across the main road to Inverkip village, with hotel bar and another cafe, but to keep to the shore path stay on the same side of the A78 main road, following the footpath south west to the car park and toilets at Inverkip war memorial.
The path south from there has a narrow section before diverging from the main road and then dipping down to the power station entrance road. It rises again to main road level before reaching the North Lodge at the entrance to the Wemyss bay housing estate.
Follow Ardgowan Road past the primary school and either take the path south through woodland, or continue on the pavement beside Ardgowan road on down to turn left along the shore at Undercliffe Road with its scenic views across the bay to the Pier and across the Firth of Clyde. If following the path through the woods, this emerges at Cliff Terrace Road: follow this east for a short distance, then turn right down Wallace Road to Undercliffe Road where it meets Wemyss Bay Road.
Take Wemyss Bay Road east along the shore to rejoin the A78 footpath turning right under the railway bridge. After 200m turn right into the Wemyss Bay Pier and Railway Station, grid ref NS193685. The Station Bar has an adjacent cafe, and across the road the Seaview Cafe offers a wider range of food. The station and pier is a unique and splendid example of Victorian railway architecture, exemplifying the Caledonian Railway at its finest. It forms a fitting terminus to both the Inverclyde Coastal Path and the Ayrshire Coastal Path as described at www.ayrshirecoastalpath.org/
© Inverclyde Ramblers, November 2011. Both this route description and the photos are licensed under under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license: see commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Inverclyde_Coastal_Path for photos and license.
